The green cleaning industry, like the organic food and farming industry, is enjoying an almost viral growth resulting from the sheer word-of-mouth social movement. While relatively few companies are truly capitalising on the momentum right now, consumers are increasingly more open to the idea of using alternative cleaning solutions that remove the risk of chemical exposure even at higher price points.

Sales of green cleaning products in the U.S. more than doubled between 2007 and 2011, to $640 million; yet, that is only a 3% share of the market, which means the numbers have nowhere to go but up. Global Industry Analyst, Inc. predicts that the green cleaning industry in the U.S. will reach $9.32 billion by 2017. And while the U.S. and Europe are currently heading the largest growing green cleaning markets, countries in the Asia Pacific region, including Australia, are starting to demonstrate growth and are predicted to surge ahead with an average growth rate of 25% over the next several years.

Companies that currently dominate the global green cleaning industry include Earth Friendly Products, Ecolab Inc., Oxi Brite Inc., Ecover and Seventh Generation. Traditional cleaners are also making inroads, with The Clorox Company being one of the most successful. Naturally, Australia’s green cleaning has huge potential. According to a study from Packaged Facts, one of the most interesting things about the green cleaning market is “to what degree (and for which consumers) convictions about using green cleaning products trump price sensitivity.”

Social Media for the Green Cleaning Industry

Because this is a consumer-driven market, social media has, and will continue, to play a significant role in the growth of thise industry. Seventh Generation, one of the largest growing green cleaning companies in the world, uses Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, in conjunction with a blog and a website, to network with consumers. Their messages do not focus on the sale of products, the company rather seeks to educate consumers through engaging with them in the areas that can make a difference in their willingness to consider green products: pregnancy and family, recipes and cooking, as well as social activism and corporate responsibility (CSR). With more than 1.2 million fans on Facebook and more than 50,000 followers on Twitter, their message is resonating. 

Australian-based green cleaning companies using social media:

In our next blog, we’ll continue to explore the current state of the green cleaning industry and wrap up the month with a look at the future of the industry.

Green Cleaning and Social Media in Australia